Major elements of PolyU’s QA mechanisms and processes for academic departments are:
| Level |
Key mechanisms and processes |
| Institutional |
The Academic Quality Assurance Committee under the Senate is responsible for:
- Setting up and periodic review of overall QA framework and mechanisms for academic departments
- Initiating Departmental Review (DR) exercises
- Reviewing feedback from Deans/School Board Chairmen on Annual Programme Review (APR) reports submitted by departments and reports submitted by DR Panels
|
| Faculty |
- Monitoring and maintaining the quality of academic activities of departments overseen
- Providing guidance on and monitoring implementation of Departmental QA
- Reviewing the APR reports submitted by departments and reports submitted by Departmental Academic Advisors (DAA)
- Following up on improvement plans indicated by departments in previous reports
|
| Departmental |
- APR
- 6-yearly DR
- DAA system
- Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) system
|
| Programme and subject |
- Programme planning, validation and management (including APR)
- Academic regulations and mechanisms governing student admissions, examinations and assessment and final awards
- Student Feedback Questionnaire
- Subject Assessment Review Panel
- Board of Examiners
|
Since academic departments are the backbone of the University's governance structure, and most activities are mainly affiliated with academic departments, a department's QA system forms an essential part of the assessment process. Departments are encouraged to engage in continuous improvement of quality by evaluating their own performance through benchmarking against a set of performance indicators.
We take pride in the quality of our professional programmes, as well as their practical characteristics. The quality of our programmes is sustained throughout the processes of planning and design, validation and approval, implementation and day-to-day management, and periodic reviews after implementation.
The QA mechanisms and processes at departmental level involve both internal parties and external specialists. The Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) system, which has been in place since the 1970's, plays an important role in steering the academic development of the Institution. The DAC serves as an interface between an academic Department and the relevant profession in Hong Kong, and gives advice on the directions of a department as well as its programmes, research and other activities.
For more information about PolyU’s preparation for and follow up to QAC quality audits, please visit https://www.polyu.edu.hk/edc/stay-on-top-of-things/external-quality-audits/.
